1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless transmission of video information, and in particular, to wireless communication of uncompressed video having a relay device for power saving.
2. Description of the Related Technology
With the proliferation of high quality video, an increasing number of electronic devices, such as consumer electronic devices, utilize high definition (HD) video which can require multiple gigabit per second (Gbps) or more in bandwidth for transmission. As such, when transmitting such HD video between devices, conventional transmission approaches compress the HD video to a fraction of its size to lower the required transmission bandwidth. The compressed video is then decompressed for consumption. However, with each compression and subsequent decompression of the video data, some data can be lost and the picture quality can be reduced.
The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification allows transfer of uncompressed HD signals between devices via a cable. While consumer electronics makers are beginning to offer HDMI-compatible equipment, there is not yet a suitable wireless (e.g., radio frequency) technology that is capable of transmitting uncompressed HD video signals. Wireless personal area network (WPAN) and similar technologies can suffer from throughput not high enough to support HD AV applications.